Stix on the Beach: Tales From The Happiest Hooker!

Off & On The Grid

On Thursday I put aside the cross-stitch grid and spent some time on The Grid at elecTRONica over at Disney's California Adventure! Marissa had a shift at the attraction and signed me into the Park (which reminds me: Beauty is in the Eye of the Passholder is not dead! I'm just holding off on updating...).

The Happiest Hooker Hangin' Out in Hollywood.

Mars had a little bit of time before clocking in for work, so we did our traditional quick survey around the park before kickin' back in Hollywood Backlot — our old stompin' grounds. Hollywood Backlot — soon to be renamed "Hollywood Land" — has such a special place in our hearts. There was a time when you would find us on "Hollywood Blvd" (or inside the Hyperion Theatre) just about every single day. As Marissa said later that night, working in that particular spot felt so surreal — especially with her lead being a long-time DCA friend.

   These elecTRONica "Programs" appear to be walking into some sort of "choose your adventure" type device. It's actually an Aulani Hawaii Resort kiosk.

 

Flashdance!
These Program costumes lit up on my camera when photographed using flash.

Glitch in the Program.

It felt great to spend a few hours at my home-away-from-home. With my favorite dance music and Daft Punk's Tron Legacy movie score blasting while being around some of my favorite Cast Members, elecTRONica definitely gave me the charge I needed introspectively and sparked a creative surge inspirationally!

Hopefully, it will soon again feel like I spend more time at the Disneyland Resort than anywhere else in the world.

Rain or Shine in Downtown Anaheim

It's no secret that I loathe the Southern California sun. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the summer — and the remaining 270 days of sunlight. I don't belong in this sun worshipping state, and want to bitch-slap every local meteorologist on television who practically tells us to get on our knees and pray the rain away.

However, there are sunny days I absolutely love! Those are the days when the sun is shining, the wind is picking up, the sky is a breathtakingly bright blue and the clouds are rolling in huge! That's when nothing can keep me down and I am running out the front door with my camera!

So was the case this past Monday. Most of the morning and early afternoon the sky kept changing minute-to-minute. It was even misting at one point. Once I was done with laundry, I took off for a walk around the neighborhood.  And to climb — with a painful slipped disc — six stories of an outdoor parking structure. As I rested at each floor landing, I saw an old man across the street watching me. Not sure if he was marveling at my physique, or preparing to dial 9-1-1 if the wind blew me over.

Totally worth the trip once I got to the top and saw the panoramic view of Anaheim. I didn't take any photos that gave justice to the beautiful scene 'cause my hands were shaking too bad. Funny how that happens when you walk up six flights of stairs with a slipped disc that affects ALL your nerves. Next time I will take the tripod. Thought I was going to say "elevator" didn't ya? Yeah, elevators make my bladder weak. Remember that if we're ever together and you suggest NOT taking the stairs.

After climbing back down, I crossed the street and headed to City Hall. That's when I finally discovered the secret Mito Garden named after Anaheim's first sister city, located in Japan! It would not had stayed a secret for long if I had just veered off my robotic route once in a while.

Truth be told, when I read about the garden a couple of years ago, I imagined something much grander. And with a Koi pond. But it is pretty and does exude a sense of peace in such a bustling part of the city! It's also quite photogenic. And you may find me crocheting there someday. Just not on a boring sunny day.

I didn't have to wait long for my favorite weather to come along. Wednesday started out with overcast skies and light showers, so I knew for sure I'd be walking with Marissa to the bus, then a quick  library stop. We were at the corner of our street when the storm hit. The sky grew dark, the wind whipped up and the rain poured down! I'm sure I was singin' in the rain from being so damn happy. Even the woman with the flipped umbrella at the crosswalk seemed to be having fun.

It started getting torrential, though. And I started remembering how Anaheim has seen tornadic activity in recent years. And I was glad I had a fully charged camera battery. What I forgot was how quickly the streets flood. But I didn't let that deter me from checking in at the library! And boy, I'm glad it didn't, 'cos I left with a good haul of used needlecraft books! The Rain Gods were smiling down on me, obviously.

Still raining, I was almost home when something shiny caught my eye. It was sunny on the other side of the street! Regardless of rain or shine in Anaheim, these little adventures always make me feel like I am on cloud nine.

Walking By Myself

I never walk alone in Anaheim...even when I am by myself.

I try to get out of the apartment a couple of times a week and walk the mile-and-a-half round trip from my historic village neighborhood to the public library. The scenic walk is usually simple enough with my slipped disk pain. That is, unless I hit the jackpot at the library's used bookstore or checkout a dozen books! I seriously need to invest in a rolling backpack or a lightweight stroller — which is actually cheaper! I doubt anyone 'round here would even bat an eye if they saw me pushing a stroller stacked with books instead of a baby.

That's 'cause the people 'round here are cool. And they make me feel like part of the community. I have noticed how the people I come across all the time on my walk — cops, store clerks, students at the tech college, City Hall employees, security guards, and the familiar faces of folks who take the same route — have also taken notice of me. I can tell by how their smiles and "hellos" have gone from first being polite to neighborly. You know what I mean. Now the smiles are as if we share a fun secret and the "hellos" are an enthusiastic "Hi!"

And because of them, I never feel like I am walking alone.

Something Old. Something Borrowed.

Anaheim Central Library ~ Corner of Harbor and Broadway.

When I was young, I used to love to walk everywhere. Even as a teenager, I was never excited about getting my drivers license and first used car; I much prefered to get somewhere, didn't even have to be anywhere specific, on foot. Often I would be compelled to leave whatever I was in the middle of doing at home and walk for blocks around my 'hood. That would become too dangerous for me as the city and circumstances in my life changed, and I was mindful of knowing when to stay off the streets for my own safety.

When I lived in Corona del Mar, walking was simply about getting to and from the beach and for maintaining my size three physique. And even though I enjoyed my power-walks along the shore, walking became synonymous with exercising. This was compounded by the overall all-for-show culture in that city by the sea. No one seemed to ever walk without wanting to make some sort of statement. The majority of the time, that statement was spelled out J-U-I-C-Y on some woman's velor ass.

So you can imagine my delight after moving to Anaheim of discovering the small-town vibe there is in strolling through the historic district and downtown promenade (which is being revitalized in a classic 1940s Americana-style) as I leisurely make my way to the much-loved neighborhood library whose facade has not changed much from 1964.

It's kind of funny now, considering how much I enjoy spending time at the library, that I once had a very unfavorable impression of the place. Before Anaheim became my adopted hometown, I used to drive up and down Harbor Boulevard a million times a month, rolling right past the library. Glancing over at it, I would think it was a rundown hangout for the neighborhood riff-raff. Just recalling that asinine assumption cracks me up! If, by chance, that had been true about the patrons in the past, it is certainly not the case these days.

Every time I step into the library, I'm greeted by a diversity of readers of all colors, ages, lifestyles — from the familiar faces of the homeless patrons to city politicians — we're all on the same page at the public library. And because the library gives so much to the community, I've been returning the favor by donating whatever reading material I come across that I don't want to keep for myself. Which means I recently gifted the library with my entire brand new collection of Sookie Stackhouse books.

The book catalogue of the combined city libraries is A-MAZ-ING! (Newport Beach may boast about their multi-million dollar library facilities, but they never seem to have the books I was searching for!). With each visit to the central library, I come across more new craft books. The fun thing I've been doing for the last year is putting about half a dozen knitting, crocheting and sewing books on hold at a time, sight unseen. I've been lucky with winning the jackpot more times than not! Those other times I've waited until the cloak of night to return the books in the dropbox. It's the winners that I will soon start reviewing here on the blog! For the love of all that is good and holy, I will also warn you of the ones that really suck and would make you embarrassed to be seen with.

Long Live the Real Books!
Long Live the Public Library!
Long Live the Librarian!

Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.
~ Walter Cronkite

Storm Watch

Me and Kali pretending we live in Forks, Washington.

It rained yesterday. During daylight hours. We could stare at  it. And walk in it. And finish decorating the Christmas tree to it. Now it's back to the same ol' Southern California suckass sunshine. But for a few glorious hours yesterday, it rained.

Not only did it rain, but it was also cold! Which meant I got to bundle up in the cute winter coat Marissa bought me this weekend when I walked with her partway to work. Our path takes us past the Anaheim Duck's training rink, where we often see a bunch of rich-looking white guys getting hockey sticks out of expensive SUVs, but I wouldn't know a Duck even if one came up and quacked in my face.

The stroll in the storm put me in a festive mood. So when I got home, I finally finished decorating the tree and did a bit of Martha Stewart (if she fell of her meds) improvisation around the living room. Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to restrain myself from setting up the Nativity scene in some sort of inappropriate manner? Does anyone remember what I accidentally did to the sheep that one year? I have the photo on Flickr, which will be available again once I have my pro-account back up. Anyways, there are three adult females in the scene and I couldn't figure out which one was Mary. Then I had a flash of Big Love. But I stopped myself because as a Pagan-at-heart, I respect different religions. And I like being different from many religious people in that way.

Now the apartment looks and feels all wintery and Christmasy while I keep an eye out for the next chance of rain.